White House officials said Sunday that President Obama is not going to put the government-run health insurance program at the heart of the overhaul plan he wants Congress to pass, though two liberal House members hinted that they would rather have no bill than a bill that doesn't have the provision.White House adviser David Axelrod said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the president believes in the value of the public insurance option, but "it shouldn't define the whole health care debate, however."
The plan was designed to compete with private insurers and is a necessity to liberal members of his party, but has since threatened the viability of health care reform amid concerns over cost and the government's role in health care.
Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, reiterated their interest in the public plan, threatening to vote down any bill without it.
"I'm hoping that he understands the essentiality of the public option," said Rep. Keith Ellison, Minnesota Democrat and vice chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, on CNN's "State of the Union." The president "said he preferred a public option. So we're trying to give him the political backing he needs to get what he prefers, which I think is the right thing."When asked by host John King whether liberal Democrats should vote for a bill that has no public option "or should progressives say, 'No, that's not real reform' and walk away?" Mr. Ellison responded that "progressives should say it's not real reform" and added that a refusal to support a bill would not be their fault. (Continued...)
Obama's stand on public option draws fire - Washington Times
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Will Obama try to sneak in a government-controlled option?
ReplyDeleteA thousand times YES.
Triggers, co-ops, pressure on insurance companies to provide info on profits and administrative costs... all this is designed to kill private insurance and replace it with government control.
YES he'll try!
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ReplyDeleteKilk, he'll also try to find new taxes of all kinds under the cloak of taxing the wealthy and big evil industries.
ReplyDeleteBe careful of this legislation. He'll try to push it through quickly again.
Gene... exactly! It's so obvious it hurts.
ReplyDeleteDoes a bear...you know the rest.
ReplyDeleteI'm very worried that the general public doesn't "get" what a co-op is.
Government run is government run.
Here's all I want from Washington:
1. tort reform
2. get rid of the stupid government regs
3. stay out of my life!
What I want to know is why there is no discussion about Tort reform.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes I believe the Obama machine will try to sneak in his cherished "public option."
Adrienne, a bear can help but do it in the woods, just as Obama can't help doing it over our Constitution.
ReplyDeleteNatin, tort reform (limited) may be the red herring that'll be the thin end of the wedge to provide the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. Whew!!
ReplyDeleteBaukus already gave him the "just call it something else option" All he has to do is lie as instructed--just as he always has.
ReplyDeleteI'm still praying for gridlock.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping the incumbents are too afraid of next year's election to make such a drastic move. Frankly, what concerns me isn't the approaching socialism, but rather the approaching civil war that both my sons and I will fight in. That wasn't my plan for my retirement or their college years.
ReplyDeletecbull... I agree with you. Just paint it yellow and call it something else.
ReplyDeleteArby, they're hoping they can satisfy the rabble with lies and deception, and then they expect everyone to lose interest.
ReplyDelete